Flinging her notepad to the bed, she frowns. “I’m not sure yet. I’m looking for a pattern, I guess. Benson shouldnothave the power to conduct rounds, or issue punishments the way he is. Am I right in saying he’s denied shore leave before?”
“Well yes, but I presume he gets the okay from an officer.”
“But you can’t be sure?”
“Cleo, I tend to stay away from the guy, not check up on him.”
“Hmmm. That’s what I thought,” she mumbles to herself. “Do you think Cheddar and the girls will speak to me about him?”
“I can’t see why not, although I’m not sure they will tell you anything I haven’t.”
“That’s fine, I just want to cover all my bases.”
“You really think there’s something going on, don’t you?”
Cleo bites her lip. “I feel it in my gut, River.”
“And my gut tells me your dad isn’t going to like you snooping.”
“No, he won’t, but I also know he wouldn’t want his sailors mismanaged. I’m not doing this to piss him off. I’ve still got an article to write, which I have every intention of doing to the best of my ability. But…I can’t ignore this. The whole Benson situation is wonky. Not even mentioning Grey.”
“You think there’s something going on with her too?”
She taps her chin with her index finger. “How many WO’s do you know with their own personal assistant? Because that’s what Grey comes across as.”
Once again, she’s not wrong, although I just figured Grey’s arse kissing played into Benson’s God complex, which is why he’s allowed her to stick to his side like glue.
“Who is Benson’s superior officer?” she asks, snapping back into investigating mode. It’s super sexy.
“Lieutenant Hardman.”
“Is he close to Benson?”
“I’ve no idea, Cleo. Seriously, I don’t get involved in anything above my station. The ship’s politics isn’t something I want to get involved in.”
Cleo nods. “Okay. I can find out easy enough.”
I watch her as she mulls through whatever thoughts are going through her head. I’d like to kiss her again, but I’m not sure I could pull back a second time.
While Cleo works through her new topic of interest, I allow my mind to fill with the memory of our kiss. Maybe I shouldn’t have done it or at least waited until I wasn’t feeling so emotional.
The thing is, I wanted to kiss her last night and couldn’t. Today offered me the chance, and I took it. Her words soothed me and made me feel like I’m not a total dickhead of a person…because that’s how I felt after talking with Kit.
Kit. Ugh, I need to have it out with her. We’ve never had a…discussion? As intense as that. I’m still not sure how I feel about what she said. Not because she was wrong, but because of how easily she said it to me. The heat in her voice as she eviscerated me. Have I held our friendship to a higher standard than she has? I’m questioning whether we’ve been as close as I thought all this time.
“Do you need me for anything else?” I ask.
“No, no. I’ve got an interview to get to, but I’d like to swing by later if that’s okay. Do you know Kit, Boot, and Cheddar’s work schedule?”
“We all have two days off after today. Kit and Boot will be back in the lounge around 08:00 hours.”
Nodding, Cleo slides a little closer, and my pulse skyrockets immediately. “I’ll see you later then?” she murmurs.
Instead of leaning in, I wait for her to make the next move. Which…she fucking does! Little fireworks shoot up through my chest as she claims my lips. The kiss is sensual but doesn’t hint at going any further, which I’m happy with. Leaving Cleo for the day off the back of this sort of kiss is more than satisfactory.
We pull apart simultaneously and laugh because we both have stupid grins on our faces. A small part of me worries how easily we’re slipping into each other. How easily I find being around her without freaking out, and how much I want to be with her…physically. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t want sex to be the thing that connects us. Yes, I still feel a tad…not upset, but bruised that Cleo didn’t have the same experience as me when we first met, but it’s such a tiny part of me now, I know deep down I’mnot dating her to prove something anymore. I’m not using her, and I need Kit to understand that.
“I’m going to go,” I say softly. She nods wordlessly, and I heave myself away and out of her cabin door. I fumble with my beret as I put it back on. The passageway is clear except for one other person.
